Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

drag2share: PowerBalance Scam Lawsuit Forces Company Into Bankrupcy [Snake Oil]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5861816/powerbalance-scam-forces-company-into-bankrupcy

PowerBalance Scam Lawsuit Forces Company Into Bankrupcy After admitting that their PowerBalance bracelets are worthless pieces of plastic in Australia, the company has officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States following a class action suit filed in a Los Angeles' federal court.

What a surprise. Citing "sources with direct knowledge of the situation," TMZ claims the settlement amount is $57 million. The stupid makers of stupid bands with stupid holograms claim is only $1 million and said that they are "not going out of business" in Twitter, despite filing for Chapter 11. In fact, spokesman Jason Damata told the NY Daily News that PowerBalance "is actually in the process of launching a new product, dubbed performance mouth gear in markets over the next few weeks."

I hope this one has at least two holograms, one for performance, another one to whiten your teeth. [TMZ via NY Daily News]

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drag2share: LG Optimus EX sneaks out of its box, reminds us it's still here

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/22/lg-optimus-ex-sneaks-out-of-its-box-reminds-us-its-still-here/

Remember the Optimus EX? Not to be confused with LG's LTE flavor of smartphone, this dual-cored Android has been spotted hanging around outside its cardboard enclosure. This slab was previously revealed a few months back, flashing (quite literally) a 700 nit display alongside a refreshed 1.2GHz Tegra 2 processor. Like these brief glimpses of the phone, pricing and release date info is light on detail, with no hint of the mobile TV-toting handset planning a visit over here. While LG's latest presumably ambles up to Korean phone stores very soon, we offer up another photo after the break to help satiate those Optimus affections that may otherwise go unrequited.

Continue reading LG Optimus EX sneaks out of its box, reminds us it's still here

LG Optimus EX sneaks out of its box, reminds us it's still here originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Exclusive: Lenovo also working on a 5-inch Android tablet, because pockets need love too

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/22/exclusive-lenovo-also-working-on-a-5-inch-android-tablet-becau/

No matter how tempting the specs on Lenovo's leaked 10.1-inch tablet are, you might prefer something fairly more portable just for the sake of your regular pockets. Well, it looks like Lenovo's got you covered, too. Freshly delivered from the same anonymous tipster are a stash of photos depicting a dual-core 5-inch Android tablet, which will apparently be marketed under the usual LePad brand in China as well as an upcoming IdeaTab brand for elsewhere (to help differentiate tablets from the IdeaPad laptop line).

Not much else is known about this device, but the photos below do show a micro-USB port, HDMI output, a front-facing camera and presumably three capacitive buttons (which could mean it won't be launching with Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich). There's a strong resemblance to the Dell Streak 5 here if you ask us, though despite the earpiece-like feature next to the front camera, our source couldn't confirm whether this tablet packs voice call capability (like the Galaxy Note and Pantech Vega No.5). Anyhow, stay tuned as we dig for more info.

Gallery: Exclusive: Lenovo also working on a 5-inch tablet, because pockets need love too

Exclusive: Lenovo also working on a 5-inch Android tablet, because pockets need love too originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: BiTMICRO's next-gen SSD controller to deliver blazing speed and big storage in 2012

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/22/bitmicros-next-gen-ssd-controller-to-deliver-blazing-speed-and/

BiTMICRO

SSD controllers aren't the most glamorous chunks of silicon to be hawking, but you can make quite a name for yourself with them (just ask SandForce). BiTMICRO is betting that its next-gen platform will be something manufacturers will want in on. Targeted primarily at enterprise class devices, the as yet unnamed chips will be capable of performing 400,000 random write IOPS per second and support drives up to 5TB in size. By comparison, SandForce's SF-2000 tops out at 60,000 IOPS. Others will have time to catch up, though, BiTMICRO says the platform will be ready for "market testing" during the first half of 2012. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading BiTMICRO's next-gen SSD controller to deliver blazing speed and big storage in 2012

BiTMICRO's next-gen SSD controller to deliver blazing speed and big storage in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: ASUS Transformer Prime gets a stomach full of Ice Cream Sandwich (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/22/asus-transformer-prime-gets-a-stomach-full-of-ice-cream-sandwich/

Sure, the Transformer Prime has been official for a couple of weeks now, but we haven't seen the 10-inch tablet get much action, aside from a few quick hands-ons. ASUS is finally ready to show us the quad-core Tegra 3 tablet -- running Ice Cream Sandwich, no less. The tablet won't actually ship with the brain-freezing mobile OS, but the company has promised a sweet, sweet upgrade. Check out the video, including 1080p video playback and some time with the quad-core-friendly Riptide GP after the break.

Gallery: Ice Cream Sandwich demo on the Asus Transformer Prime

Gallery: Asus Transformer Prime instruction manual

Update: We've also gotten a peek at what looks to be the user manual for the new Transformer. Check it out in the second gallery above.

[Thanks, Jeremy]

Continue reading ASUS Transformer Prime gets a stomach full of Ice Cream Sandwich (video)

ASUS Transformer Prime gets a stomach full of Ice Cream Sandwich (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: 360 Panorama app now available for Android users, no gyroscope necessary (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/22/360-panorama-app-now-available-for-android-users-no-gyroscope-n/

Looking to capture panoramic photos on an Android handset? Well, you've certainly got plenty of options -- including, as of today, Occipital's 360 Panorama, which just hit the Android Market. Compatible with devices running Android 2.3 or above (with the exception of Honeycomb), the app offers much of the same functionality you'll find on the previously released iOS version. Just tap a button, pan your handset across any given area and watch your photo come to fruition before your very eyes. The tool also allows exposure to fluctuate as a user pans his or her device, thereby creating the potential for HDR panoramic shots during transitions from dark to bright areas. Interestingly enough, this version relies not upon an actual gyroscope, but a "simulated" one, created from motion-tracking algorithms (that's how it works on older 3GS handsets, as well). Users who already have a 360 Panorama account can still use it on their Android handsets, allowing them to upload and store all their photos in one place. Eventually, this storage system will allow for syncing across both iOS and Android hemispheres, though at the moment, it's a strictly web-based affair. Pan past the break for a brief demo video, or check out some sample shots in the gallery, below.

Gallery: 360 Panorama for Android

Continue reading 360 Panorama app now available for Android users, no gyroscope necessary (video)

360 Panorama app now available for Android users, no gyroscope necessary (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Stamp A Review On Everything You Like And Hate With This Google-Backed App

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/stamped-2011-11

Critics

Stamped, an app backed by Google Ventures and Bain Capital, launched today so you can share everything you love and hate with friends.

It was founded by ex-Googlers Bart and Robby Stein along with Kevin Palms.

“Review sites are cluttered with recommendations from people you don’t know and don’t care about. We’re focused on quality – only the people you trust recommending only what they truly like best,” says CEO Robby Stein. “Stamped is a simple, fast way to filter out the noise.”

Users can easily scroll through friends' reviews and then take action. Stamped is integrated with OpenTable, Amazon, iTunes and Fangango so users can immediately go do what their friends recommend.

Making Yelp more social seems to be a common app theme right now. Before the Stamped news passed our desk, we were writing about another app that is launching today, Fondu. Fondu lets users write 175 character reviews of bars and restaurants and share them with friends.

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drag2share: DisplayLink adds DVI to its USB display adapter repertoire, in Japan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/22/displaylink-adds-dvi-to-its-usb-display-adapter-repertoire-in-j/

USB to DVI

Tired of all those USB to HDMI adapters? Got yourself a monitor sporting only an old-school DVI port? Well, don't worry, DisplayLink has your back... as long as you live in Japan. The cumbersomely named I-O DATA USB-RGB3/D USB 3.0 to DVI display adapter just hit shelves in the Land of the Rising Sun for the equivalent of $137. By hooking up to a computer's USB 3.0 port the adapter is able to push video at resolutions up to 2048 x 1152 over a standard DVI cable. It's a great way to salvage that aging, but still high-quality display if you've got a newer notebook that's gone the HDMI-only route. Hopefully some adapters powered by DisplayLink's tech will start making their way stateside soon. If not, there's always imports. Check out the complete PR after the break.

Continue reading DisplayLink adds DVI to its USB display adapter repertoire, in Japan

DisplayLink adds DVI to its USB display adapter repertoire, in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Motorola XT615 Android phone arriving in Taiwan: slim, but not RAZR-thin

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/22/motorola-xt615-android-phone-arriving-in-taiwan-slim-but-not-r/

Side-stepping the moody design tones of its RAZR brethren, Motorola has announced a new Android-powered smartphone for Taiwan. Measuring in at 9.8mm thin, this Gingerbread-powered slab sports the outfit's MotoBlur-derived Moto Switch UI, with an eight megapixel camera on the back and a VGA shooter on the front. The XT615 packs quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900), WCDMA (900/2100) and HSPA (7.2Mbps) radios, while processing power comes from a slightly underwhelming 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7227A-0, possibly explaining the NTD$10,900 ($360) price tag. The pearly-toned phone hasn't revealed any plans to leave the island nation of Taiwan just yet, but that doesn't mean you can't familiarize yourself with the full specifications in the PR below.

Continue reading Motorola XT615 Android phone arriving in Taiwan: slim, but not RAZR-thin

Motorola XT615 Android phone arriving in Taiwan: slim, but not RAZR-thin originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, November 21, 2011

drag2share: Ghost Incognito Automates Your Private Browsing [Chrome Extensions]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5861440/ghost-incognito-automates-your-private-browsing-in-chrome

Ghost Incognito Automates Your Private Browsing Chrome: Even though every browser has a private mode, it's not always easy to remember to enable it before visiting private sites. Ghost Incognito makes it so you don't have to by automatically opening sites of your choosing in incognito mode.

For most of your browsing experience, the icon sits unobtrusively on your tool bar. When you visit a site you don't want to keep a cache of for whatever reason, you click the icon and it opens in incognito mode. After using it once, it's stored, so every future visit does the same thing. It's a handy feature to have for sites like your bank, but with holiday shopping in full swing, it might work well to cover your tracks if you're ordering from a single retailer.

Ghost Incognito | Chrome Web Store via gHacks

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Branding is still "Ineffective, Irrelevant, Irritating, and Impotent" (pics) - http://bit.ly/sZmTeS

drag2share: Stereo Mic Turns Your iPhone Into a Sneaky Bootlegging Tool [Audio]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5861372/tascams-stereo-mic-turns-your-iphone-into-a-professional-bootlegging-tool

Stereo Mic Turns Your iPhone Into a Sneaky Bootlegging Tool It's fine for the occasional speakerphone call or voice memo, but if you want to record a concert that's worthy of sharing, you'll want to upgrade your iPhone's mic with Tascam's iM2 which adds a set of professional stereo mics.

Besides being just a mono affair, the mics built in to the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad are designed for use in quieter settings, like sitting on the couch and FaceTiming with a friend. When used in a louder environment they'll distort, so in addition to a stereo set of condenser mics, Tascam has included its own pre-amp in their iM2 allowing it to handle sounds as loud as 125db. And if things get even louder, there's an adjustable input level control letting you dial things back.

The mics can rotate 180 degrees front to back, depending on how you hold your device and who you're recording, and it features a USB pass-through allowing your device to be charged while the iM2 is attached to its dock connector. It is unfortunately another powered accessory that will take its toll on your iOS device's battery life, but as a consolation prize Tascam is including a free PCM recorder app with the $79 mic. I know, not really a consolation at all, but no one ever said the life of a concert bootlegger would be an easy one. [Tascam via AVWatch]

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drag2share: Samsung adds another WiFi-only Series 5 Chromebook, on sale now for $349

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/samsung-announces-wifi-only-series-5-chromebook-on-sale-now-for/

After Samsung released its Series 5 Chromebook, lots of you said you'd buy it -- if Sammy slashed the asking price in half. Well, we're not there yet, but the company did just unveil another WiFi-only version, this time with a more palatable MSRP of $349 and a slightly tweaked version of Chrome OS to match. (It has a black lid, too, in case that snow white number was too precious for you.) To recap, it has a bright, matte 12.1-inch (1280 x 800) display, a dual-core Intel Atom CPU, two USB 2.0 ports and a memory card slot. And design-wise, at least, it's a step up from most netbooks, with a comfortable keyboard and surprisingly solid 0.8-inch-thick chassis. In any case, if you were planning on picking one up for the Chrome OS lover in your life (or, you know, the low-tech person who only ever uses a web browser anyway), it's on sale now at the likes of Best Buy, Amazon, NewEgg and Tigerdirect.

Update: Not to be outdone, Acer just sent out a press release announcing it's cut the price of its AC700 Chromebook. It'll now cost $299 for the WiFi-only version (down from $349) and $399 for the Verizon Wireless 3G model (it had been $449).

Continue reading Samsung adds another WiFi-only Series 5 Chromebook, on sale now for $349

Samsung adds another WiFi-only Series 5 Chromebook, on sale now for $349 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: ASUS Padfone crops up in benchmark database, hides its S4 SoC out in the open

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/asus-padfone-crops-up-in-benchmark-database-hides-its-s4-soc-ou/

Late last spring, we got hands-on with dummy units of the Padfone and its companion dock, but aside from potential form factors and a Christmas release window, details of its glorified guts were scarce. That's all changed now thanks to GLBenchmark's public results database, which outs the category-straddling device as having a Krait S4 MSM8960. Yes, the first in a line of uber-performing Qualcomm SoCs will be embedded in the heart of ASUS' smartphone, bringing support for a global range of frequencies (including blazing HSPA+ and LTE speeds) and an Adreno 225 GPU. What could very well be disheartening is evidence the handset's running Gingerbread 2.3.5, but we'll chock that up to early testing and cling tightly to the company's hard ICS-laden wink. If you've been eagerly anticipating this mobile power couple, you shouldn't have to wait long -- that target holiday release is surely creeping up. So, expect to see an official announcement of the dual-core goods any day now.

ASUS Padfone crops up in benchmark database, hides its S4 SoC out in the open originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Norwegian bookseller begins selling e-books on memory cards, for some reason (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/norwegian-bookseller-begins-selling-e-books-on-memory-cards-for/

Literary changes may be afoot in Norway, where one bookstore is looking to drastically revamp the e-book medium. Last week, Norwegian retailer Norli Libris announced that it would begin selling books on small plastic memory cards that can be inserted into the backs of e-readers. Each card, known as the Digi Short, would contain a single file, allowing users to devour one publication at a time on their customized, Android 2.1-laced Kibano Digi Readers. Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of an e-reader? It certainly seems like it, though Norli Libris' Caroline Heitmann says the idea is to simply convert e-books into physical commodities, like their ancestors. Because of this, these one-hitters would be exempt from VAT duties within Norway, though Norli Libris says they'll likely be priced on par with their downloadable counterparts, which won't help the consumer much. The company hopes that this system will be adopted as an industry standard, though it's only available at Norli Libris for the moment. Head past the break for a rather obvious demo video.

Continue reading Norwegian bookseller begins selling e-books on memory cards, for some reason (video)

Norwegian bookseller begins selling e-books on memory cards, for some reason (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

BoingBoing | source

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